SCOTLAND CRUISING
Breathtaking scenery, a plethora of cruising grounds and friendly locals make cruising the West Coast from Oban round the Isle of Mull an unforgettable experience, says Norman Kean
From Oban round the Isle of Mull
DO YOU HAVE ONLY A WEEK TO SPARE?
For those of us who are time poor but who want to seize the moment, either on our own boat or on a charter, it is reassuring to know that there are plenty of cruising hubs from where we can enjoy some of the best of the region in only a few days. This new series, A Week Afloat, commissioned by Yachting Monthly and Imray, visits some ideal destinations and suggests a one week itinerary. Each article, complete with expanded information about cruising each area, will be available as a PDF download via Imray’s website or Google Play Books.
The West Coast of Scotland is the finest cruising area on the Atlantic coast of Europe. Two hundred miles in length from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to Cape Wrath in the north, it is sheltered from the full force of the ocean by the islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The outer islands, from Lewis to Barra Head, form an almost continuous 110-mile breakwater. The inner islands - the principal ones Skye, Mull, Islay, Jura, Coll and Tiree - provide added shelter and an abundant choice of cruising routes, passages, channels and ports of call. Fjordlike sea lochs reach deep into the mainland mountains. The scenery is breathtaking, and constantly varying. The choice of anchorages is unsurpassed, and recent years have seen rapid growth in marina and pontoon facilities. Leisure sailors come from all over Great Britain and beyond to visit, or to keep their boats in these waters and to sail here year after year, enchanted by this coast, its islands and its scenery. Yacht traffic is plentiful, but it’s never crowded. Restaurants and pubs are excellent, individual and characterful, and people are welcoming and helpful.
Oban, with a population of 8,500, is the largest town on the coast. It’s a major transport hub and the principal port for the islands, and has all
services including supermarkets, and restaurants to suit all tastes. The main charter base is at Dunstaffnage Marina, three miles north of the town, and there are also boats based in Oban itself. The town’s marina is on the island of Kerrera, which shelters the bay, and there is a free ferry service to the town. A cruise round the nearby island of Mull fits comfortably into a week, and offers a splendid choice of destinations, with handy alternatives in almost any weather conditions. Home to just 2,800 people, Mull has stunning mountainous scenery and a plethora of smaller islands off its west coast, some populated but many deserted.
Cruising this area is a revelation for those who usually sail on the South or East Coast of England!
DAY ONE: OBAN OR DUNSTAFFNAGE TO LOCHALINE (13 MILES)
Leaving Oban, be careful to stay out of the way of the island ferries – they are big ships. The south end of Lismore island lies ahead, with its lighthouse, and Lady’s Rock and beacon opposite. The imposing Duart Castle, home of the chief of the Clan Maclean, rises on the nearby headland at the entrance to the Sound of Mull. The sound separates the island from the Morvern peninsula, which, thanks to the way land and sea interpenetrate here, is one of the remotest parts of mainland Scotland. The village of Lochaline (pronounced ‘Lochallen’ with – of course – a Scottish ‘ch’) lies at the entrance to a two-mile inlet on the Morvern side, and is the best anchorage in the sound. Lochaline has pontoon accommodation and visitors’ moorings, hotel, restaurant and all essential supplies.
DAY TWO: LOCHALINE TO TOBERMORY (12 MILES)
Mull’s largest township is a very popular port of call. The picturesque village of 1,000 people sits on a deep and sheltered natural harbour said to contain the wreck of the Spanish Armada’s treasure ship. If you fancy more sailing, there’s the option of continuing instead around Auliston Point for a lunch stop in Loch Drumbuie, before crossing the five miles back to Tobermory. Tobermory has pontoon berths and visitors’ moorings, with plenty of space also to anchor. Ashore are all supplies including a chandlery, pubs, restaurants – and a malt whisky distillery.
DAY THREE: TOBERMORY TO THE TRESHNISH ISLANDS, GOMETRA AND ULVA (25 MILES)
Once round Ardmore Point you may start to feel the lift of the Atlantic. The coastal scenery on the west coast of Mull is spectacular, with columnar basalt cliffs. The uninhabited Treshnish Islands, 19 miles from Tobermory, are home to grey seals and a myriad of seabirds. The approach to the anchorage at the main island of Lunga demands careful pilotage but the anchorage is secure in most winds and the islands
Mull offers a splendid choice of destinations, with handy alternatives in almost any weather conditions
are charming and atmospheric. The summit of Lunga (101m) offers breathtaking views of the mountains of Rhum, Eigg and Skye to the north, Mull to the east and Jura to the south. You then have a wide choice of anchorages for the night, and time to explore more than one of them. On Gometra, Acarseid Mhor has a limited area of deep water, but Gometra Harbour, between Gometra and Ulva, is bigger and deeper. Cragaig Bay on Ulva is beautiful, and Inch Kenneth offers an attractive alternative. These places are all remote, their solitude being their greatest charm.
DAY FOUR: GOMETRA TO STAFFA, IONA AND EARRAID (14 MILES)
The caves of Staffa are cathedrals of rock, the most famous of which, Fingal’s Cave, inspired Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture. There is an anchorage off the island, but the boat shouldn’t be left unattended. A marked path leads from the landing jetty round to the caves. Iona, six miles to the south, is separated from Mull by a shallow sound requiring careful pilotage. There is a good anchorage off the island’s jetty. It was here that Saint Columba founded his monastery in 563 AD and from here missionaries travelled all over the known world. The restored 16th-century abbey is still a place of pilgrimage, and despite the numbers of visitors the island is remarkably peaceful – tourists’ cars are not carried on the ferry. The best overnight anchorage is the Tinker’s Hole on the adjacent island of Earraid. The spectacular approach is between sheer walls of pink granite. This can be a popular place, and if it’s busy, the Bull Hole, three miles back up the Sound of Iona, is an alternative.
DAY FIVE: EARRAID TO SEIL (25 MILES)
This is a longer day’s sail, to place you within an hour or two of Oban for your last day. If the weather has been awkward, a little forward planning earlier in the week could allow you to do this leg a day earlier. But this is normally downwind anyway. To starboard lie Colonsay, Jura, Scarba and the
Cruising this area is a revelation for those who usually sail on the South or East Coast of England
Garvellachs. Your destination is Puilladobhrain (pronounced Puldorren) at the north end of Seil, another classic and popular anchorage. There’s a footpath to Clachan Bridge, which joins Seil to the mainland, and there stands the old Tigh an Truish pub – the House of Trousers – where 250 years ago, forbidden kilts were changed for legal wear before crossing to the mainland.
DAY SIX: SEIL TO OBAN (7 MILES) OR DUNSTAFFNAGE (11 MILES)
It is an easy sail east or west of Kerrera to get back to Oban. A lunch stop over in Loch Spelve on Mull adds another eight miles to the passage.
Little Horseshoe Bay on Kerrera offers an alternative without the detour.